Books used for conversion burnt and protested
by James Varghese
June 27, 2007
SIDDAPUR AND SIRSI, KARNATAKA STATE, INDIA (ANS) -- Hindu activists burned 500 copies of a book called The Life History of Jesus Christ that they had confiscated from a girls primary school in Siddapur, Karnataka State, India, on Monday, June 18. The mob drawn from Hindu Jagarana Vedike (Hindu Forum for Revival) and Bharatiya Janata Party (India's largest political party) did so claiming that the books were being used to convert school children to Christianity.
Protests were made both in Siddapur and Sirsi in Karnataka State, India, after the activists got information about books being distributed in some schools and, based on this information, they went to the girls school in Siddapur and found the books in five cardboard boxes and brought them out to the bus stand and then protested by burning them.
Around 10 boxes had arrived to the school for distribution and five of boxes had already been distributed, an education authority spokesperson said.
According to local sources, the protest was conducted under the leadership of MLA Vivekananda Vaidya. Talking to the media he said, "The books were used to convert the school kids in a simple way. Using these books, given by someone, they were distributed by the education department to the schools and this matter will be taken to the knowledge of the Education minister and action will be taken on the authorities"
The others present in the procession were BJP town president, K.J Naik, Satish Kodia of Hindu Jagarana Vedike. He claimed that Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, also is involved in this case and she is encouraging this activity to go on.
Note: Hindu radical groups have as their ideological rallying cry, Hindutva which literally means, "Hinduness," or cultural Hindu nationalism. The BJP is a religious conservative political organization. It sees itself as rising to the defense of indigenous culture, and Indian religious systems. HJV and BJP say they are set up to consolidate and strengthen the Hindu Society of India, as well as to protect, promote and propagate Hindu values of life, the ethical and the spiritual in the context of modern times.
They also say they are there to keep in touch with all the Hindus living abroad, and to organize and help them in all possible ways in protecting their Hindu identity also popularly known as Hindutva.
© 2007 ASSIST News Service, used with permission.
